The day I was sentenced to death, my parents were busy organizing a press conference to announce that their adopted son, Zhou Zhe, was the new heir to the company.

My sister and Zhou Zhe were engaged, officially making them a family.

Meanwhile, I, the one who exposed Zhou Zhe's deceptive and ruthless ambitions, was disowned and labeled as a traitor to the family.

After my death, I was reborn.

I no longer yearned for their love.

I decided to live for myself.

I was given a second chance at life, transported back to the day Zhou Zhe was first adopted into our family.

I never imagined fate would grant me the opportunity to start over.

Zhou Zhe was the child of my father's old friend and a renowned child prodigy in our city. Unfortunately, his parents died in a car accident, and when they were found, Zhou Zhe had already been kidnapped.

My father spared no effort in retrieving Zhou Zhe, moved by his tragic fate at such a young age, and resolved to raise him as his own son.

The moment my mother saw Zhou Zhe, she burst into tears, hugging him tightly and sobbing, "Poor child, you've suffered so much."

My sister wiped her eyes beside them, while I watched Zhou Zhe coldly, aware of the malice beneath his innocent facade.

My mother urged Zhou Zhe to sit down and rest, but he blushed and whispered, "I'm dirty; I don't want to soil Uncle and Auntie's sofa."

His considerate demeanor further endeared him to my family, who were already overwhelmed by their nurturing instincts.

Even my father, who often preached that men aren't supposed to show tears easily, had tears in his eyes. He patted Zhou Zhe's head and said, "Silly boy, from now on, this is your home. You should call us Mom and Dad... "

Zhou Zhe nodded shyly, then noticed my sister's unfinished homework on the table. With just a glance, he solved a complex math problem that had stumped her all night.

Instantly, my sister, Zhou Yan, became his biggest fan, constantly praising him as a true genius. My parents exchanged smiles, convinced that Zhou Zhe's presence would only improve our family.

Throughout the entire process, no one sought my opinion. It seemed that with the arrival of this adopted son, I, their biological son, had become irrelevant.

I simply waited patiently, knowing all too well what kind of person Zhou Zhe was.

As expected, just like in my previous life, Zhou Zhe quickly asserted his dominance.

He suddenly looked at me with teary eyes and asked, "Brother Qing Ci, why are you glaring at me?" He lowered his head, appearing deeply saddened, "I'm sorry, I never intended to take anyone's parents away. If you don't like me, I can leave." Despite his words, he remained firmly seated on the sofa.

My father looked at me sternly, "Qing Ci, from now on, you're Zhou Zhe's brother, and you need to get along with him, understand?"

Zhou Yan sneered, "Qing Ci must be jealous that Ah Zhe is smarter than him and can't stand it. Ah Zhe's intelligence is on a whole different level; he's a famous child prodigy."

Zhou Zhe's face turned pale, and he hid behind my mother, trembling. "I never wanted to steal my brother's spotlight. It's all my fault."

My mother hurriedly embraced Zhou Zhe, comforting him while casting a disapproving glance at me. "Qing Ci, I've always taught you to be humble. How can you be so envious?"

My father hastily added, "Apologize to Ah Zhe!"

From my mother's arms, Zhou Zhe lifted his head, deliberately showing me a provocative expression only I could see.

I bit my lip, memories of my previous life flashing through my mind.

My parents and sister had been just as overbearingly assertive, insisting that Zhou Zhe was their true family, and severing all ties with me without hesitation. They even helped frame me when Zhou Zhe had me imprisoned, watching as I was led to the execution ground.

I should have realized it sooner. From the moment Zhou Zhe stepped into our home, my family was no longer mine.

It was as if they were entranced by his manipulation, unwaveringly siding with him, even as he siphoned away the family's assets without remorse.

I genuinely wanted to wake them up, but instead, I was branded as envious, incompetent, and petty, becoming the most ridiculed member of the Zhou family.

The Zhou family willingly walked toward the hell Zhou Zhe had laid out for them, but I was different.

This time, I would live for myself.

Zhou Zhe's room wasn't ready yet, so our parents told him to share my room for the time being.

Just the thought of sharing a room with him was unbearable.

I turned around and began to pack my things, planning to spend the night in the living room instead.

Zhou Zhe followed me in, sweeping all my textbooks and stationery off the desk to the floor, and claimed my desk with his own backpack.

Unlike in the previous life, my cold demeanor made Zhou Zhe drop the pretense. "Why should someone like you, an ordinary person, have such a warm family, while I, a genius, suffer so much misfortune? I'll be the favorite in this house soon enough!"

I continued packing my things, not even sparing him a glance. "I don't care much for this home. If you want it, it's yours. You can have whatever I don't care about."

Zhou Zhe was so infuriated that his chest heaved, but he quickly calmed down, a dark glint flashing across his face. "You'll only be smug for now, " he muttered.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zhe tore his awards and cried, claiming I ruined his memories. "Boo hoo, Brother Qingci, don't destroy my achievements! They're my last memories from my old school! I'm sorry, someone like me isn't worthy to share a room with you... "

Hearing the commotion, my parents and sister rushed in to find Zhou Zhe sitting amidst the shredded certificates, tears and snot covering his face, looking utterly pitiful.

My sister, Zhou Yan, picked up a piece of the torn certificate, exclaiming in surprise, "He won a top prize in math competitions! With a certificate like this, he could easily get into a top school, and yet Zhou Qingci tore it to pieces!"

Zhou Zhe wiped away his tears, trying to appear magnanimous. "I must have upset Brother somehow, which is why he did it. It's all my fault."

Mom hurriedly wiped his face clean with a wet tissue, her eyes brimming with pity. "How could it be your fault? We've spoiled Qingci too much."

Dad's face was flushed with anger. He couldn't understand why other people's sons were so well-behaved while his own son couldn't even accept a younger brother and bullied him instead.

I walked out of the room, my gaze steady as I spoke each word deliberately. "Zhou Zhe tore those certificates himself; it has nothing to do with me."

My sister, Zhou Yan, immediately screamed, shielding Zhou Qingci and glaring at me with fiery eyes. "Who would tear their own certificates for no reason? Zhou Qingci, now you're lying without even pausing to think. How did I never see this side of you before?"

Dad shouted at me in frustration, "Zhou Qingci! You've really let me down. Why can't you be more like Zhou Zhe? Can't you learn from A-Zhe, be a bit more sensible, and put your family's mind at ease?"

I looked back at the Zhou family with indifference. Zhou Zhe really had a knack for things. He'd only been in our house for one night, and he'd already bewitched everyone. A few tears from him, and my parents acted like the sky was falling. But what about me? Who noticed that my heart was bleeding?

In my past life, I envied Zhou Zhe's academic success, but he betrayed my trust. Initially, there were some minor conflicts between us, but I soon accepted him as my brother.

However, Zhou Zhe took advantage of my trust, turning around and slandering me in front of our parents. By the time I realized what was happening, the rift between my parents and me was irreparable.

In this life, I had the memories of my past life and the reasoning ability of an adult. How could an elementary school student like Zhou Zhe possibly be my match?

To keep Zhou Zhe from feeling bullied, my parents decided to stay with him overnight. They comforted him as they walked away, not even glancing back at me, as if I were a criminal disrupting the warmth of the family.

I silently closed the door, shutting out their harmonious scene.

I had long vowed not to let their bias affect me anymore.

Ever since Zhou Zhe moved into our house, my relationship with my parents and sister had become strained, but I didn't care at all.

After school, I usually spent my time in the school library, getting a head start on high school material. Given my current academic level, I could easily skip a grade to high school, but I had a different plan in mind.

In my previous life, after Zhou Zhe transferred to our class, he won countless awards and became a star in the school, adored by teachers and classmates alike. My parents and sister treated him like a treasure, making me feel like an invisible person, merely a shadow of Zhou Zhe.

In this life, I was determined to snatch away all of Zhou Zhe's awards and top rankings, to beat him at his own game!

A few months later, my birthday arrived.

My parents decided to throw me a proper birthday party to ease the tensions between us. More importantly, they wanted this party to help me fully accept Zhou Zhe.

When I got home from school, I saw the table filled with a lavish spread, but upon closer inspection, it was all seafood like boiled shrimp and steamed crab—a seafood feast, which is considered a delicacy in our culture—yet everyone in the family knew I was allergic to it.

Zhou Zhe was helping my mom in the kitchen, and when he saw me come home, he flashed a provocative smile.

My mom, who had been looking at Zhou Zhe with eyes full of affection, seemed to lose some of that warmth when she turned to me. "Qingci, you're back. Once your dad gets the cake, we'll celebrate your birthday together."

I glanced at the dishes on the table and couldn't help but sneer, "You remembered it's my birthday today, yet all the food is seafood that I can't eat? Oh, I see, Zhou Zhe loves seafood, doesn't he?"

Just then, my dad and Zhou Yan returned home. Zhou Yan immediately shouted in displeasure when she heard my words, "Zhou Qingci, are you bullying A-Zhe again? We're all family. What's wrong with making something A-Zhe likes?"

Zhou Zhe's tears came easily. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for admiring my brother too much. Mom only made my favorite dishes because she felt sorry for me. Brother, you can scold me, but please don't blame mom."

Dad heavily placed the cake on the table. "Do you have to ruin a perfectly good birthday by causing chaos in the family?"

I pointed to the visibly ill-fitting limited edition sneakers on Zhou Zhe's feet. "Is this how you celebrate my birthday? Why is everything on the table what Zhou Zhe likes, and why is my birthday gift on Zhou Zhe's feet?"

Just like in my previous life, Zhou Zhe used his tricks to wear the gift my parents had given me. When I angrily tried to take it back, my parents demanded I be a generous brother. Anything Zhou Zhe wanted, I had to offer up willingly. I had no doubt that if Zhou Zhe ever wanted my life, this self-righteous family would guilt-trip me into giving in.

Upon hearing my words, Zhou Zhe immediately took off the shoes, crying, "I just liked these shoes so much that I couldn't resist trying them on. I'm sorry. I've never seen such nice shoes before... When I was kidnapped by traffickers, I only had broken straw shoes to wear..."

The red marks on Zhou Zhe's feet looked fresh, clearly not old injuries as he claimed. Yet, seeing his scarred feet, my overly compassionate family broke down, each one holding Zhou Zhe and crying their hearts out.

Zhou Zhe broke free and ran over to me, crouching at my feet with pretended innocence. "Brother, please forgive me. I'll give the shoes back to you."

Facing away from the Zhou family, Zhou Zhe spoke in a pitiful tone, but he was actually stepping hard on my foot, sending a sharp pain through me.

I couldn't help but push him away, but as soon as my hand touched his shoulder, he screamed as if electrocuted, "I was really wrong! Brother, don't hit me!"

My parents and Zhou Yan didn't see what happened, but hearing Zhou Zhe's cry, they immediately assumed I was bullying him again.